Motor vehicles generally feature side door windows which can be moved between lower (opened) and upper (closed) positions. The mechanism used to move the window between these upper and the lower positions is generally known as a window regulator. A window regulator can either be manually operated by a person or driven by a powered actuator, most commonly an electric motor. One type of window regulator utilizes a pulley system. This pulley system uses a metal cable wrapped around a drum coupled to an electric motor or hand crank to drive a carrier that is fastened to the window and engages a guide rail to control motion as the carrier moves vertically.
Conventional cable and drum type window regulator assemblies may be categorized into either dual rail or single rail configurations. In a dual rail configuration, a pair of separated rails is provided in which each rail includes a clamp fastened to the lower edge of the window. These clamps are then moved in a synchronized manner to raise and lower the window. In a single rail configuration, a single rail is positioned near the center of the window with a clamp fastened at the lower edge of the window. The clamp is then moved vertically along the rail between the open and closed positions. A single rail configuration provides a window regulator assembly with fewer parts than a dual rail configuration. However, the single rail configuration poses a design challenge in providing sufficient stability to control the window's motion. In both the single rail and dual rail configurations, the front and rear edges of the window are retained by and move within a corresponding front and rear window run channel.
Design engineers and manufacturers of automotive components are continuously striving to reduce their cost, complexity, and weight in order to provide features and functions for motor vehicles at minimum cost. In one type of existing single rail configuration, a window clamp is made from stamped sheet metal. This sheet metal part is formed to span across the guide rail in order to adequately engage the rail and to include enough space to mount a pair of separated clamps that fasten to the lower or bottom edge of the window. This large sheet metal stamping is a relatively heavy and expensive component to fabricate.
Therefore, improved regulator assemblies that are relatively light-weight and inexpensive to manufacture are continuously desired. It is also desirable to reduce the complexity of the regulator assembly, thereby, simplifying both the manufacturing and operation of the assembly.